When Is Fashion Week?

When is Fashion Week?

Short answer: fashion week generally refers to the womenswear shows that happen twice per year (February and September) in the “Big 4” fashion capitals of New York, London, Milan, and Paris (in that order).

But there are also menswear shows, “resort” shows, and haute couture shows in Paris, and these happen at different times during the year. There are also now many, many international fashion weeks. So nowadays, you might say, “it’s always fashion week somewhere.”

The naming of the seasons is also something that’s become a bit complicated. Originally, the shows were previews of collections that would hit stores six months later.

As a result, the shows were named after the season to come. For example, February would show “fall collections,” and September would show “spring collections.”

But now, consumers want to buy things they see on the runway right away. As a result, “in-season collections” have begun to make an appearance. So these days, you might see winter clothing on the runway in September.

Even the traditional separation between men’s and women’s fashion collections has become blurred, with both men and women appearing in the same runway show during the time traditionally referred to as “women’s fashion week.”

Below is a general guideline of when shows traditionally happen. For more specifics, see the list of fashion week dates.